Council clashing with Mack at every turn

TRENTON — Mayor Tony Mack’s tenure in office has been laced with several battles with city council members that have been played out in open forums. The latest controversy surrounding Mack’s indictment on federal corruption charges seems to have spiked the level of scrutiny council members have placed on every official action the mayor makes, igniting suspicion as to how much authority Mack truly has.

“Council is check and balance, he is still mayor, but for once we’re checking everything he’s doing,” said South Ward Councilman George Muschal. “If it is not legit we’re not going along with it.”

The council flexed its investigative muscles this past summer when questions arose regarding funding to re-open four shuttered libraries as learning centers. In the weeks after the FBI conducted raids at his honor’s home and at City Hall, local governance changed in other ways.

“We now perform audits of the check registry that council members receive monthly, If I see a vendor that I don’t recognize, I highlight it and then request the invoice from City Hall,” said Muschal.

Many expenses paid seemed to be under the $17,000 threshold which allows the mayor to sign off on expenses without council’s approval.

Roy Sumner, the owner of Justin’s Furniture and Carpeting, told The Trentonian during an interview that his company had placed a bid for the job, won the bid and had installed tile type carpeting at the Cadwalader Learning Center. Sumner, Mack’s fraternity brother, confirmed he was paid the entire $16,000 shortly after the installation was completed.

When asked to provide copies of vendor bids, city council members were denied siting that all paperwork pertaining to the learning centers were under lock and key in Anthony Roberts’ office.

Council tried again to diminish the mayor’s power, in the fall, by attempting to slash his salary from $126,460 to $60,000. Council sought to enforce an ordinance to reduce the mayor’s salary by more than half, because of city budget woes and a less than exemplary job performance by the mayor.

The attempt to cut Mack’s salary ultimately failed, as council did not secure enough votes to override Mack’s veto of an ordinance.

The city leader’s latest attempt to shed a positive light on his administration is also being questioned by city council members. Self-appointed mayoral press secretary, Paul Harris, released a statement announcing the re-opening of the west and the east police sunstations, which opened today.

“This is part of the Trenton’s Crime Reduction Initiative to broaden police presence in neighborhoods and communities,” the statement said.

“ It will also help to improve community relations and better serve our youth … The City is urging residents and businesses to come out and show support for our men and women in uniform.”

City Council President Phyllis Holly-Ward contested that the opening of the precincts, which were funded and constructed during the reign on Mayor Dough Palmer, were not initiated by Mack but instead was actually the brainchild of the city’s business administrator and Trenton’s top cop.

“This was Rivera and the B.A.’s doing,” said Holly-Ward. “(Mayor Mack) is not competent enough to come up with this initiative.”